Tinubu Reappoints Marwa as NDLEA Chairman for Another Five Years

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), extending his tenure by another five years and solidifying continuity in Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

The announcement was made on Thursday in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
With this extension, Marwa will lead the agency until 2031.

Tinubu described the reappointment as a clear endorsement of Marwa’s performance since assuming leadership, urging him to intensify efforts against drug traffickers and protect young Nigerians from substance abuse.

“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse,” the President said. “I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs out to destroy our people.”

Under Marwa’s leadership, the NDLEA says it has arrested over 73,000 drug mules and barons and seized more than 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances. The agency has also expanded public sensitisation efforts through nationwide campaigns targeting schools, markets, workplaces, and motor parks.

Who Is Marwa?

Marwa, from Adamawa State, first took office as NDLEA chairman in January 2021 after being appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. Before leading the agency, he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse between 2018 and 2020.

A retired military officer, he previously served as military governor of Lagos and Borno States. His robust military career includes roles such as Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then–Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, and Academic Registrar at the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Internationally, he represented Nigeria as Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and later as Defence Adviser to the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations.

Read also: African Union Emphasizes NDLEA’s Critical Role in Shaping New Continental Drug Control Plan

He holds a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.

NDLEA’s Recent Track Record

In 2024 alone, NDLEA arrested 18,500 suspects, seized 2.6 million kilograms of illicit drugs, and secured 3,250 convictions, including 10 drug kingpins.
The agency also destroyed more than 220 hectares of cannabis farms, rehabilitated over 8,200 drug users, and carried out more than 3,000 sensitisation programmes across the country.

Marwa credits these achievements to growing international cooperation, particularly with the United States, which he says has strengthened NDLEA’s operational capacity.

His renewed tenure places him at the centre of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to curb drug abuse and dismantle trafficking networks.